Flashbacks
by Totallynotgaytrash
Summary: (Set in Aphmau's Phoenix Drop High universe.) When he was adopted, his sister Cadenza forced him to socialize until he got better at it. But when they started high school, he met Garroth. Unsure of how to act around someone he liked, especially a guy, so he observed other guys until he came to a conclusion. Flirt with girls, so no one sees how much of a fuck up you are.
Laurance felt the cool spring winds whip through his chestnut locks, the frayed tips bringing a refreshingly harsh sting to his cheeks upon contact. He smiled, genuine happiness and relief washing over his features for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He thought back to the day his life took a real turn, whether for better or worse, exactly ten years ago. He didn't know his real birthday, but today was the day he was adopted, and so it was what his family considered his birthday.

"What a wonderful birthday present this is," he laughed bitterly, only moments before a sickening crack filled his ears.

"Laurance! Laurance, get your lazy ass up, today's a visiting day!"

Laurance stayed still, hoping eventually the nun would give up and just lock him in the room and forget about him, just like they did on all the other visiting days. But apparently that wasn't going to work this time.

The nun grabbed the collar of Laurance's T-shirt and dragged him out of the bed.

"Listen, mister, you are going to put on some nice clothes and then you will go downstairs and play with the other children and put on a good show. Got it?"

"But miss," he protested. "I don't have any nice clothes , and none of the other kids like me!"

"You can borrow some of Jordan's clothes, and I don't care, just make it look like you're not a miserable brat!"

She let go of his shirt, letting him crash and collapse in a bruised heap on the hardwood floor.

Laurance nodded and scrambled to grab some of Jordan's clothes. Most were a size or two too big, but anything was better than a beating by one of the angry nuns, even wearing jeans and a Taylor Swift shirt. At least he had a hoodie to cover it. It wasn't his fault all the other kids had clothes and he didn't! And he was seven, it wasn't as if he could buy his own clothes.

After shrugging on his favourite, and his only hoodie, he reluctantly stepped into the hall and towards the stairs. He could hear the laughter of the other kids, playing along in hopes that someone would notice them and get them out of this hellhole. Of course, Laurance never came out for the visiting days, so he obviously hadn't been adopted. But it wasn't as though anyone would want to adopt him anyways.

Every step closer to the downstairs was heavier, harder, took more willpower to force himself to take. He may as well have been wearing bars of iron on his he reached the end of the staircase, there was a little opening where he could hide and watch all the children go about their business tying to get adopted. But as he watched, he noticed one girl he didn't recognize. She had long, fiery hair and an incredible denim dress. She seemed to be the child of one of the visitors, she was talking with a man that looked at a fitting age to be her father. The girl looked around and eventually her eyes made way to Laurance's hiding place. She smiled at him, and ran over. She plopped herself down on the floor in front of him and wasted no time before conversation.

"Hi! I'm Cadenza! My daddy said I could talk to you while he talked to the nice ladies. What's your name?"

Laurance froze for a moment. Someone was talking to him, and they weren't yelling at him!

"Uh... Hi? My name i-is L-Laurance..."

"Hi Laurance! What do you wanna do?"

"Laurance! Laurance you need to get up now!"

Laurance groaned and halfheartedly attempted to get out of the bed. He failed, and fell out, his face colliding with the cold floor.

"Laurance, someone's come to adopt you!"

A choked exclamation of confusion and excitement jumped out of his throat. He was going to be adopted, he wouldn't be here anymore!

"Get your stuff together, you're meeting them in half an hour!"

Laurance threw off the blanket and almost hit the nun with it. He apologized profusely while putting on his only outfit, black sweatpants, a TØP shirt, and a green hoodie. He snatched his wyvern pendant and shoved it in his pocket, and realized suddenly the situation. A family was taking him in. They would care about him. He would have more than one set of clothes and a pendant with a strange name.

For the first time, he was excited to go down that staircase. He was excited to see main office. He was, for the first time, happy.

As he stepped into the office, he saw one familiar thing. Or, a familiar face. The fiery haired girl he met three months ago was there, smiling at him.

"Laurance!"

"Cadenza? Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious? My dad is adopting you! You're gonna be my brother!"

He didn't have anything to say to that, so he didn't say anything. Instead, he merely hugged Cadenza until she couldn't breath.

"Cadenza, I still don't understand this school thing."

"Well, each subject is in a different room," she explained, gesturing to different points of the map. "Different teachers teach different subjects, and each teacher has a different room. During this time of the day, you go to a certain room to learn about a certain thing fro a certain person."

"I still don't get it," Laurance said flatly.

"Ugh! We have the same schedule, just follow me and I'll explain things as we go."

"And why is it called middle school? What's it in the middle of?"

"LAURANCE, I SWEAR-"

"CADENZA I WILL MURDER YOU!"

Cadenza popped into the doorway of her adoptive brother's room and smiled innocently.

"Laurance, why are you so upset?"

Laurance shoved the empty bottle of permanent orange hair dye in her face.

"Don't give me that crap Cadenza, I know you did this!"

"Did what?"

"Dyed my hair orange! PERMANENTLY!"

"Calm Laurance," she cooed. "It'll grow out eventually."

Laurance inhaled deeply and sighed.

"Fine. I'll just... deal with this. This is okay. I definitely don't look like I should be committed. Well. I'll be getting dressed now, if you don't mind."

Laurance slammed the door in Cadenza's face and stormed over to the mirror. He messed around with his hair for a minute, trying to see if there was anything he could do to make it look less embarrassing. Eventually he realized that if he took any longer, he would be late for the first day of highschool, and that wouldn't be good.


End file.
